Valley star returns home for creative writing institute

By ZACK QUAINTANCE

The Monitor

A television star and an experienced author will hit the University of Texas-Pan American Wednesday to work with the school's Summer Creative Writing Institute.

"The George Lopez Show's" Valente Rodriguez will return to his alma mater along with David Rice, who wrote "Crazy Loco" and "Give the Pig a Chance," which is set in the Rio Grande Valley.

They will arrive at 7:30 p.m. in the UTPA Student Union Theater. The two guests will start the evening's festivities with a segment from their film "Los Scavengers." The movie is a work in progress currently under negotiation with the Warner Bros. Studio.

Filmmakers shot most of the footage for the segment earlier this year in the Monte Alto area. At the time, the producers said the goal was to shop the project to a major studio. They hoped to film an entire feature in the area.

After viewing the segment, Rice and Valente will speak about filmmaking in the Valley. They will discuss writing, casting and funding projects in the area, as well as promoting them.

The presentation will be followed by a reception in the Student Union Theater.

The event joins several others on a busy schedule for the Summer Creative Writing Institute.

This week's events lead up to the institute's grand finale 5 p.m., June 12 at Espana, where students and teachers will read their works at the outdoor café. The Summer Creative Writing Institute is a three-week program that gives students the opportunity to work with veteran, published writers.

The institute features morning creative writing workshops, afternoon panels and evening readings.

For more information contact UTAP Professor Steven Schneider, director of new programs and special projects in the College of Arts and Humanities. He can be reached by phone at (956) 380-8775 or e-mail at schneiders@panam.edu.